BillsVet

I guess we should start measuring Spiller for his HOF jacket and bust. Faster than Thurman Thomas, more elusive than Gale Sayers, and just plan better than Barry Sanders.

All this man-love for Spiller is really great, I hope Buffalo figures a way out to run block with 8 or 9 in the box. Ah well, let's watch another youtube video.

I forgot that RW didn't re-sign DJ and then fire him about one year later. How many owner's are re-signing and firing their HC's? Or RW dictating to Wade Phillips that he start Rob Johnson against Tennessee. Or re-signing OJ on the evening of the 1976 season. The list goes on and on and on.

It should be noted that San Diego's rebuilding took three seasons to become a playoff team. The Chargers were 5-11, 8-8, and 4-12 from 2001 to 2003. They made the playoffs with a 12-4 record in 2004, getting outstanding production from Brees and Tomlinson. I'm not sure there are many fans who want to wait until the 2013 season to see a winner after 10 season minus the post-season. Building through the draft is a nice principle and all, but it doesn't mean using this method exclusively to put a team together.

Don't forget Jim Overdorf, Senior VP of Football Ops. He's a part of any contract negotiations and evidently oversees the cap when it's in effect. Neither Nix or Whaley negotiate contracts.

Shudder the thought if the man retires in his early seventies. Most (other than dysfunctional franchises) have a far younger man running their teams.

Let's make this real simple: Who would you rather have picking GM's, HC's, and in the draft? Bill Parcells or Ralph Wilson and Buddy Nix? Who has the better reputation in the NFL, Parcells or Wilson/Nix? Who's rebuilt more football teams, regardless of "diminishing returns", Parcells or Wilson/Nix? When you hire people you know as the only criteria versus hiring the best qualified person for the job, you lose. And after 10 years in the NFL wilderness, I'd rather have a proven winner.

I thought the draft was a crap-shoot? I mean, for every Peyton Manning, there's a JaMarcus Russell. And for every Bruce Smith, there's an Aundray Bruce. It's obvious to me that you can miss on a top-5 pick, so it's really not the benefit you make it out to be. Reading your thread, it's almost as if Polian was granted these guys and put no thought into it. I mean, guys like Ray Childress, Chris Doleman, and Ryan Leaf were definitely rated below the top pick in those 85 and 98 drafts, right? Buffalo hit rock bottom in 2001, and ended up getting a bust in the subsequent 2002 draft. Detroit has had numerous busts (Charles Rogers) and Oakland as well (Robert Gallery). The common denominator is those teams had piss-poor decision makers just like Buffalo had from 06-09 in the least.

Gailey is an improvement over DJ, but it's not hard to be better than the former coach. And when I hear a coach talk about teaching, it's an indication they're very young. Take away the bullhorn and punishment laps, and it's 2001 all over again. Just being a former OC and having 2 seasons of HC experience does not mean the results will magically be different in '10. They still have huge question marks at QB, WR2, LT, RT, NT, and 2x OLB.

Reading this thread, it's ironic to see some try to take Parcells down a notch in order to conflate the argument about Buffalo's front office. Parcells completely cleaned the Dolphins house in late 2007/early 2008 by firing virtually the entire previous regime and hiring his own GM and his own coach. They are now a perennial playoff contender in a difficult division and conference. In Buffalo, no one beside the owner has ever been able to do this, and the result is 10 years in the NFL wilderness. Go ahead and say Parcells has issues, every talent evaluator does. Then review RW's front office decisions since 2000:firing Wade, hiring Donahoe, Levy, Brandon, re-signing DJ, the list goes on and on. Now who would you rather have running the show?

If the report is to be believed, it's even more alarming given that Henry played WR. That position does take hits, but certainly not like RB's, LB's, and QB's.

The trust invested in a HC who hasn't done the job in 10 years defies logic. That's not to say Gailey cannot do it, but expecting immediate results in year 1 is a little much, particularly with this team. The Bills are in rebuild mode for 2010. Parcells' last coaching stop did in fact result in a 34-32 record, albeit with QB's Quincy Carter, Vinnie Testaverde, Drew Bledsoe, and Tony Romo in his first season. Despite those guys, he went to the playoffs twice in his 4 seasons. Gailey has many of the same challenges, i.e., playing in a tough division without much at QB, and having to rebuild his team.

You mean drafting Whitner, McCargo, Youboty, and Simpson in 2006 wasn't good enough for you Bill? Ralph put Marv into a bad spot, but the marvelous one exacerbated the situation by hiring DJ. What a comedy of errors.

The old Falling back on the "they know more than you do" argument comes out. It must be that time of year when fans question the direction, only to be told they aren't in the NFL and know nothing. Wonder if that sentiment will be echoed in November-December.

It's not hard to be an improvement over the sad-sack former HC Buffalo had and the bar was set pretty low to improve on DJ. It seems like anything new is instantly declared better around here. At the time, Marv was an improvement over DJ. DJ over Mularkey. Mularkey over Williams. Williams over Wade. Donahoe over Butler. Problem is, the same guy is still making the decisions.

I don't think Torbor needs any work playing the run as he's probably more adept at that phase than in coverage. Additionally, he's more stout at the POA than Maybin will probably ever be. I don't doubt that they're giving guys looks to see who fares better. But the fact that a former first round pick, despite changing positions, is not an every down starter remains troubling to me.

It's the revenge of Jauron. That guy, along with Ralph and Brandon, had no business being around a draft room. He is looking bust-like.

Michael Roos signed for 43M over 6 years just two years ago. David Diehl signed a 6 year 31M contract just after Roos. Of course Jordan Gross signed a mega deal, so what exactly is market value for a LOT? It's not like there are a lot of top LOT's getting re-signed. The Skins have leverage now because they're playing the guy at ROT anyway. That position doesn't necessitate as big a contract. Apparently teams no longer have budgets in years without a cap. You've repeatedly said the Redskins have a poor track record. Well, not with Mike Shanahan at HC and GM Bruce Allen. Go ahead and malign those two, neither are perfect, but they've got a much better track record than Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey. They have a new regime, much like the Bills, so they should get the benefit of the doubt like you're providing for Buffalo's brain trust, right? All NO did was take an asset they deemed unnecessary and parlayed it into a pick and more importantly some financial savings. Randy Moss was moved for a 4th. I guess it was because no one was interested in him, right? Teams don't trade top LOT's, unless they've got depth there or they're the Buffalo Bills and need so save face and money when a player is "difficult." What if those guys require a 4th round pick? Does that make them not worth it because the asking price is low? All three of those guys will probably need a new contract, and at least a 3rd/4th rounder. And I don't see the Bills in the business of re-signing someone to a big contract, nor giving up draft picks. After all, they're building through the draft and those 3rd of 4th rounders are low-cost roster options.

Needed to draft a WR in the first of 2008. Just had to.

Keep laughing. Who's saying that Brown is demanding 9-10M per? You are. The Saints had multiple FA's that they re-signed and had a serviceable young OT in Bushrod. Their hierarchy chose to spend money on re-signing Brees, MLB Vilma and 1st team All-Pro G Jahri Evans. They, like everyone, had to make a choice with their money. Oh, and BTW they've got Marcus Colston coming up as well. Boy are they crazy for not re-signing a guy at a position they had depth at. And for the record, perhaps teams did express interest and NO chose the Redskins' offer. You're making a ton of assumptions to support a weak point in defense of a moribund NFL franchise that doesn't have ONE proven NFL OT. If that's your argument, why didn't OAK re-sign Cornell Green? The Buffalo Bills will not make a trade for any of the group you mentioned: Gaither, McNeill, or Donald Penn. And you will be back to say they weren't worth it. Well, come September when Bell, Meredith, and Wang are struggling, you'll be back to say it was a rebuilding year anyway.

Jammal Brown may have been injured in 2009, but he represents a player who's performed at a high level. Bell, Meredith, Wang, Ramsey, Watkins, and Green have never done that. People charge that it's wrong to take a flyer on a former All-Pro. Well, I'd rather surrender a 4th and have it go wrong than bank on unproven talent found on the clearance rack that could significantly impact the entire offense all season. And that's precisely what happened in 2009. Funny how history repeats itself with this team. After 10 years of failure, hearing about rebuilding over the a 2-3 year stretch isn't good enough. That is, if they have the time. I am amazed at how merely hiring new people gives people hope. Hope based on what? Their proven track record of hitting on draft picks and winning playoff games?

This is probably not a discussion for a message board, as it'll be long winded, but here goes. Each team has a finite amount of resources and uses them in a given manner. On a football team, certain positions are more valuable than others, and the draft proves this. Premium positions like QB, LT, NT/DT, and pass rushers all typically come from the first or second rounds. And before someone attempts to conflate the argument by saying most starters come from the first round, bear in mind that plenty of guys who play positions like G, C, LB, S, RB, and WR do come from outside the top 2 rounds. There's a pretty good chance if you scout well that you can find average to good starters at these positions in rounds 3-5. My point re: Wood and Levitre is (and it's been made many times, notably by BADOL) that when you take a guard or center that high, they're typically the best one in the draft. The challenge is to find average to good starters at G, C, et al lower, thus allowing your higher picks to be reserved for the premium positions. It's why there aren't punters and kickers taken on the first day. Wood and Levitre were need picks in 09, because Buffalo had practically nothing at G entering the 2009 season and left FA with only Seth McKinney and a bare roster at G. It's been the Bills MO for years: let a player go in FA or trade, and fill a distinct need with rookie top draft pick. There's actually been little to no team building from 2006-2009. Maybe Nix changes this, but it's a huge challenge. I think Wood and Levitre will be solid pros, and they're guys I want on the Bills. There isn't much wrong with the players. Problem is, management forced themselves to find instant starters by not having a solution on the roster at G. It's another fine example of inept management, the result of people like Russ Brandon and Marv Levy moonlighting as GM. And here's the scary thing: RW hired both of them. That's why I need to see something out of Nix before anointing him the savior like people did in 08 when Marv had just left.

It remains true the pass-blocking has been poor, with the exception of 2007. Unfortunately, running for 1000 yards doesn't automatically make the OL good at run blocking. How many times in the DJ years did the team fail to convert in short yardage situations? It didn't seem to matter whether it was home or away either. Football Outsiders is a great site to gauge how a team succeeds in different situations. Here are the stats for Buffalo's OL success/failure for running and passing. It can take some getting used to, but pass pro was dead last. They were 31st in the NFL in power running situations. Buffalo knows they need more than just a faster RB.

It's amazing that in a league predicated on passing the football, the powers that be at OBD believe they can beat teams running the ball without the benefit of good play at OT. I like the guards, but both were high picks for a position that can be found later on. The center evidently had a back injury, so we'll see how he fares. Wang, Bell, Meredith, Green, et al are bargain buys and their play will dictate how the offense functions. Suffice it to say, they are all castoffs or young players not ready to start on most NFL teams.

It's ironic how many picks across multiple regimes have been used on skill guys in the past 6 drafts first 3 rounds: I think it's logical to conclude that the Bills knew there would be problems selling tickets in 2010, especially after Buddy and Chan were the hirings for GM and HC respectively. These are the Buffalo Bills, and selling hype is their best trait. I wouldn't doubt for a moment that there was some influence from on-high. It's complete speculation, but RB's who run a 4.3 40 sell more tickets than does an OT.